Al Jazeera: Canada unveils new Arctic strategy
Canada has developed a new Arctic strategy, Al Jazeera reports. Ottawa believes that the region has become a geopolitical hotspot. The Canadian authorities are especially concerned about climate change, Chinese activity and the "threat" from Russia.
Canada has unveiled a new Arctic strategy to counter threats from geopolitical adversaries. This is another step in the growing competition for the Arctic.
Against the background of increasing geopolitical tensions and the transformation of the Arctic region due to climate change, Canada is developing its Arctic strategy.
On Friday, Ottawa unveiled a 37-page security policy document outlining plans to build up its military and diplomatic presence in the Arctic. This is explained by the increased threats from the intensified Russia and China.
Here's what you need to know about the Canadian strategy and the tensions in the region.
Why is Canada increasing its presence in the Arctic?
Ottawa says that increasing its presence in the Arctic is aimed at countering security threats in the region posed by Russia and China.
Canada's new Arctic strategy highlights the increased Russian activity on the border of North American airspace.
Ottawa says it is "deeply concerned" about Russia's weapons tests and the deployment of missile systems in the Arctic capable of striking North America and Europe. Canada also accuses China of regularly sending ships with dual-use equipment (military and scientific) to the north to collect data.
The document says that Ottawa has been trying for many years to establish cooperation with other states in the Arctic so that there would be no military rivalry in the region. "However, restrictive measures preventing conflicts are increasingly being overloaded," Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said at a press conference. "The Arctic has ceased to be a region of low tension."
What will the changes look like?
Canada's Arctic strategy includes several important initiatives that will be implemented in this region, starting with a diplomatic presence and ending with security measures.
The country will open consulates in Anchorage, Alaska, and Nuuk, Greenland, and appoint an ambassador to lead and coordinate Canada's policy and actions in the region. Ottawa is also seeking to resolve a border dispute with the United States in the Beaufort Sea and resolve a border dispute over the small uninhabited island of Hansa (Tartupaluk in the local Inuktun language), located between Denmark and Canada.
Canada expresses its desire to deepen Arctic cooperation with Japan and South Korea, along with the Asia-Pacific Partnership, noting that it will actively involve indigenous communities in intelligence and military activities.
Various indigenous peoples, such as Inuit, Sami and Chukchi, have lived in the Arctic for thousands of years.
The increased military activity involves sending new patrol ships and destroyers, icebreakers and submarines capable of operating under ice, as well as additional aircraft and drones to high latitudes.
Minister of National Defense Bill Blair said that Canada's revised doctrine provides for strengthening military capabilities in order to "conduct operations in the Arctic," where there are many serious dangers such as severe frosts, unpredictable storms, prolonged polar nights and drifting sea ice.
How big is Canada's Arctic region?
The Arctic, which includes the region around the North Pole, is the northernmost territory on the planet. It is bounded by an imaginary line called the arctic circle. It includes territories belonging to eight countries: Canada, Russia, the USA (Alaska), Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark), Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland.
The Canadian Arctic region has an area of over 4.4 million square kilometers, and is mostly deserted except for a few ports and local communities. Less than 16 percent of the Arctic waters, including parts of the Arctic Ocean, the Barents Sea, the Greenland Sea, the Chukchi Sea and others, have been properly explored there.
What other Western countries are present in the Arctic?
The United States is a key Western ally, working closely with Canada in the Arctic, especially with regard to the modernization of continental defense. The two countries are investing heavily in the installation of new marine detection devices and reconnaissance satellites.
Scandinavian countries, many of which are members of the North Atlantic Alliance (including Finland and Sweden, which recently joined NATO), are also increasing their presence in the Arctic. They usually participate in joint military exercises.
Western powers carry out a wide variety of activities in the Arctic, from the deployment of military facilities to the study of natural resources.
What are Russia and China doing there?
In recent years, Russia has been expanding its naval presence by deploying missile systems and conducting weapons tests in the Arctic.
China is sending vessels capable of conducting military intelligence and research missions to the region. The goal is to collect data and provide access to the resources and sea lanes created there as a result of melting ice. Experts warn that such dual-use vessels may engage in espionage and misuse of data.
A report prepared by the Center for Strategic and International Studies shows that China's civilian research fleet, which is the largest in the world, collects oceanographic information under the pretext of conducting scientific research, enhancing Beijing's capabilities in conducting underwater warfare.
In its 2018 Arctic Policy, China outlined its goals: "To understand, protect, develop and participate in the management of the Arctic." This country also wants to make the Northern Sea Route, connecting the western part of Eurasia with the Asia-Pacific region, a competitive route for shipping, reducing travel time between the two regions.
China and Russia are cooperating in the implementation of infrastructure projects such as the Polar Silk Road (also known as the Ice Silk Road), as there are more and more ships on traditional routes, for example, through the Suez Canal, and navigation is becoming more dangerous.
Why is the Arctic turning into a geopolitical hotspot?
Climate change and the rapid melting of ice are turning the Arctic into a geopolitical hotspot. The Arctic is warming four times faster than the world on average, and is becoming increasingly accessible for maritime transportation and resource exploration, including for China and India, which are not Arctic states.
For example, in March 2022, India announced its Arctic policy. In recent months, New Delhi and Moscow have been discussing the issue of deepening cooperation in the Arctic, including the use of the Northern Sea Route to deliver oil from Russia to India.
The European powers also want to play a more significant role in the Arctic. In recent years, France, Germany and Britain have unveiled and subsequently updated their Arctic policy.
It is already known that there are rich deposits of oil, gas and important minerals in this region, such as rare earth metals used in electric vehicles and lithium used in batteries. But countries are eager to continue exploring the Arctic in search of new deposits that can affect the development of clean energy and the availability of traditional fossil fuels.
At the same time, the build-up of the military presence of rival states increases the risk of territorial claims and the struggle for influence, raising the stakes in possible conflicts.
What are the consequences for the region?
Traditionally, the mechanisms of cooperation in the Arctic have helped to maintain its stability, but the current tension threatens to destroy it.
For example, in 1996, the Arctic Council was established to promote cooperation between the Arctic States (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States) and indigenous communities.
This interstate forum explicitly excludes military security issues from its powers and focuses on non-military cooperation.
But the outbreak of the armed conflict in Ukraine hampered the work of the council, and seven of its member countries suspended cooperation with Russia in March 2022. In June, these countries announced a limited restoration of cooperation in some specific projects where Russia's participation was terminated.
In addition, the development of shipping, mining and military activity can pose a threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Arctic, which is already under great strain due to climate change.
In January, the Arctic Council reported a 37 percent increase in the number of ships in the waters of the Arctic Ocean over the past decade. All this increases the risk of oil spills, air pollution, chemical pollution and creates new dangers for marine life.
Military activities and infrastructure development involving the icebreaking fleet negatively affect the boundaries of sea ice and affect animal species such as polar bears and seals.
